10 Best Payroll Software & Payroll Management System 2023

Last Updated on October 23, 2023

Managing the payroll for a business is critical for day-to-day operations as well as compliance with regulatory standards. In most cases, businesses employ payroll management software that is somehow automated and simple to use to manage a payroll system.

Payroll management is an annoying and repetitive task, so mistakes happen. These mistakes can harm the trust between the business and its employees or cause legal issues. Therefore, by using simple software to manage payroll, you are not only streamlining payroll operations, but you are also minimizing mistakes and gathering all your data in one place. So, we put together a list that contains the best payroll software for your business in 2022.

6 Free Best Payroll Management Software for Small Business

This software is ideal for small and mid-sized companies. It offers not only payroll management but also HR features. There are three types of subscriptions with Gusto and an additional offer for contractor-only companies with only 6$ per person without the monthly fee of 39$. A business can choose the best fit based on its needs.

Gusto Core:

This option is ideal for small businesses with simple salaries and pay schedules. For 39$ a month and 6$ per person, you will get:

Gusto Complete: 

This offer is created for businesses with more complex hiring, payroll, and team management needs. For 39$ a month + 12$ per person you can have all the features of the Gusto core plus:

Gusto Concierge:

The luxurious plan For companies with more complex HR, regulatory, and compliance requirements. For 149  a month + 12$ per person, you can have all the features of the core and complete plans plus:

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We chose this software because there are plenty of businesses that use QuickBooks for accounting. As a result, this software works flawlessly with the other. Also, it offers a free trial for 30 days and 50% off for the first three months. QuickBook offers three plans: Core, Premium, and Elite.

QuickBooks payroll Core:

For 22.50$+ 4$ per person you can obtain these features:

QuickBooks Payroll Premium:

For 37.50$ a month + 8$ per employee, you can have all the features from Core plan plus:

QuickBooks Payroll Elite:

For 62.50 $ a month + 10$ per employee, you can have all Core and Premium features plus:

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APD provides solutions for payroll, HR services, workforce management, retirement and more to all sized businesses. They divided the packages into three business categories; small businesses ( with less than 50 employees), mid-sized businesses ( 50-999 employees), and large businesses (1000+ employees).

They offer four packages for small businesses: Essential, enhanced, Complete, and HR pro. The prices depend on the needs. When you visit the website, you follow certain steps that help identify your needs and then have the most suitable plan for you.

Essential plan:

This offer is ideal for start-ups and businesses that simply need payroll, taxes, and help with compliance. This package includes:

Enhanced plan:

This plan contains all of the above in addition to:

Complete plan:

This plan offers more HR tools in addition to all of the above:

HR pro Plan:

the largest plan of them, it includes all the features of the rest plus:

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It is made for small businesses that have fewer than 100 employees. Patriot offers a free 30-day trial and it is considered one of the cheapest software packages compared to the features it provides. 

Patriot offers two choices; Basic payroll and Full service payroll:

Basic payroll:

For 10$ a month + 4$ per employee you can have these features:

Full service payroll:

For 30$ a month + 4$ per employee, you can have all the features above plus:

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If you own a small business with fewer than 25 employees and you’re looking for a free payroll program, then this is ideal for you. Payroll4Free offers multiple features that include:

You always have the option of paying $30 a month to have payroll4Free file your payroll taxes and deposit them, and also, rather than transferring payments to your own bank account, they transfer payments to your employees’ bank accounts.

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If you want to use payroll software to generate payroll reports, this is the software for you. Paychex provides 160 reports about your wages, taxes, revenue, and much more. It is easy to use and integrates easily with other programs. For 39$ a month + 5$ per employee, you can have these features:

For more features, such as a dedicated payroll specialist and additional employee pay options, you can get personalized packages based on your needs.

Final Thoughts

Automating your payroll operations helps you pay everyone on time, receive accurate reports, manage taxes, and many more. 

Choosing the best software for your business depends on your needs and goals. Therefore, you have to identify your needs and objectives before making a decision. Also, you always have the option to reach out to professionals for assistance to ensure a smooth and successful implementation process.